The Revenge of Lord Barkis
by Dakari-King Mykan
Summary: Sequal to the first one, which means Mykan's in it. I Can't use the REAL ME, but I can make a new character like me: Lord Barkis is coming back and he have a some nasty plans for both the Land of living and Dead: I don't own the songs sung.
1. Remains of the day yet again

**CHAPTER ONE**

Another fine day in the land of the dead, oh I never felt so happy to be me. For those of who may not know or remember me… My name's Mykan.

I am the twin brother of the Corpse Bride, Emily. I'd gladly tell you about my past life and how I came to be here… but maybe you already know that story.

Of how I was a dress maker, and how I was lonely, and in lament, but thanks to the help of Elder Gutknecht, my Sister Emily, and her husband Victor… I know have a wife of my own.

Victoria Everglot, once Victor's betrothed from the land of the living.

Once we were married I sold my castle to Elder Gutknecht, so he'd have a summer place to be when he wanted to get away from being Wiseman of the land and all, as well as store most of his books and parchments.

Now I lived with my three family members. My Wife Victoria, my Sister Emily, and my brother in-law Victor. We all bought a farm with the money I got from my castle, and lived in a nice house in the dead meadows just outside the town.

I still wore my same old outfit. Worn out red tunic, tights, boots, gloves, and cape. But I worked as a dress maker, but only to those who could meet my prices.

That's right, no more freebies this time. If they wanted something that was the best, they'd have to work for it.

Besides, now I was more focused on my ways as a farmer. Victor and I took Victor's dog Scraps to help us round up the Sheep Skeletons. By round up, we meant to find their bones and put them together.

Victoria was busy plowing the felids for our Moldy garden. We may be Corpses, and so we don't depend on food, but we do like to keep the sport alive.

She even enjoyed the fact that she no longer had her disgruntled parents to make her life miserable, so she could roughly do as she wished. She no longer wore her hair in a tight bun, and just let it fly loosely.

My word, but she looked beautiful, even if she was wearing her field outfit.

Emily, still our Corpse bride no longer wore her veil, except when she went out into town, but at home she kept it off, and she also pinned the long train of her gown up so not to get it caught.

She normally worked in the house dusting and cleaning things out. Or she worked in the barn feeding and cleaning up after the animals. Just like a house wife would normally be.

Victor and I were usually off to the sheep pens every other day, but when we weren't off to the pens, we helped our wives with the work around the field and the house.

Yes… we were happy all together. Even though we could not have any children, as we were all dead, but still we had each other, and together we made one happy family.

A Special family… that they wrote a new song for us all.

"Hit it boys." said Bonejangles and once again our Jazz man, or Jazz Skeleton and his chorus was playing the music to Emily's song but yet again with different lyrics.

**_(Bonejangles)_**

_Hey, give me a listen  
You corpses of cheer  
At least those of you   
Who still got an ear  
I'll tell you about something  
Make a skeleton cry  
It's the family of our legendary, lovely Corpse Bride_

**_(Chorus)_**

_Die, Die  
We all pass away  
Don't wear a frown, cause it's really ok   
You might try and hide  
And you might try to pray  
But we all end up  
The remains of the day_

_Yah, yah, yah, yah, yah  
Yah, yah, yah_

**_(Bonejangles)_**

_Well, the bro of our beauty  
Mykan is his name  
and Making pretty dresses is his old game  
After a traumatizing tale of his death and woe  
With his big sisters help he was given the chance  
And poor little he  
Was know knowing romance  
Now he lives on a farm  
From his money bought  
And from having no hope, A lesson was taught_

**_(Chorus)_**

_Die, Die  
We all pass away  
Don't wear a frown, cause it's really ok   
You might try and hide  
And you might try to pray  
But we all end up  
The remains of the day_

_Yah, yah, yah, yah, yah  
Yah, yah, yah_

_Yah, yah, yah, yah, yah  
Yah, yah, yah_

**_(Bonejangles)_**

_-Now her husband named Victor, may be timid and shy  
But from the living land he was a real nice guy  
He married our beauty, but only by mistake  
But before they knew they cutting wedding cake  
Victor drank the poison which made him croak  
So he married our beauty with the vows he spoke   
But his old girl Victoria,  
up there still was she  
But what had happed  
happened was no mystery?  
_

_**(And then?)**  
Mykan came to town  
**(And then?)**  
He said his love life was down  
**(what happened next)**  
He had brought her here  
**(And then?)**  
The wedding guests cheered_

_-Now Victoria knew  
He was dead as dust  
Her old life was over  
but her heart wasn't bust  
So loved our Mykan, plain as can be  
So she married him now as happy as can be  
The four happy friends live together in peace  
On a really nice farm and no need to pay lease  
There is tenderness for them all to preside  
And that's the family of our CORPSE BRIDE_

**_(Chorus)_**

_-Die, Die  
We all pass away  
Don't wear a frown, cause it's really ok   
You might try and hide  
And you might try to pray  
But we all end up  
The remains of the day_

_YEAH_

I wonder if Bonejangles will ever change the tune tot hat song. This must be the hundredth time he's sung that… Ah well, we liked it anyway.

Besides, if any new arrivals were to come to our land of the Dead we'd have to sing it so everyone would know Emily.

Of course there was one person who was amongst us, but by now he was as harmless as the Maggot that still popped though Emily's eye once in a while.

Lord Barkis!

Though I had never before met him, I could tell from the others that he was a very bad man and deserved to be amongst us dead people, it's a shame I wasn't there for his… initiation.

When Mrs. Plumb and the others tore off all his flesh so he was nothing more than a pack of dry bones, there was hardly anything he could do now to any of us.

…Or so we thought!


	2. Can you still die after you die?

**CHAPTER TWO**

At the Farm house, Victoria and Emily were setting the table ready for dinner. "If I do say, Emily. We have enough food here to feed an army of the dead."

Emily looked up from her stew pot. "Well that's the trouble with working on a farm." My sister said. "The work never seems to be done, and those husbands of ours deserve a good feast after working hard toady."

Emily's maggot popped through her eye again, and it landed right in the stew. "You'd think with all this food you cook, you'd both be spoiling them." He said.

An irritated Emily picked her eye out of the pot and cleaned the stew off it. "Heh… waiter there is an EYE in my soup." The maggot joked.

Emily popped her eye back in. Victoria just had to ask. "How in the world can you put up with him?"

"Mmm… you used to it." Said Emily. "And after a while he's not such a--" she moved in closer. _"P-E-S-T!"_

"_I can spell you know!" _The Maggot said from inside Emily's head.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Darlings… we're home." I called. Our wives walked out and embraced us in a warm hug. They really did miss us when Victor and I went to work in the fields.

Victor's dog scraps leapt right through the door and barked happily before jumping on the ladies and licking their faces.

"Oh, Scraps!" Victor chuckled. "I guess he's happy to be home." I added.

"Ah… happy is right." Victoria giggled as Scraps' tongue creased her face.

"Oh, how many times have I told you not to do that Scraps. You're wrinkling my Wedding dress." Emily said.

Victor knew one thing that always got Scraps off. So he walked into the kitchen and began opening a can of old dead dog food. Scraps heard the sound of the food pouring into his dish and rushed off as if he hadn't seen food since he died.

"Works every time." Victor said as he patted his dog.

Emily giggled. "Oh, what a cutie." She said as she joined her husband in the patting. "Now I really wish I had seen him with fur."

The maggot came through her ear this time. "Yeah… I'm sure he looked a lot cuter than what I've seen in this head."

Finally he'd gone too far with his unwarranted insults. Emily gave me the signal and I grabbed the Maggot. "Hey… hey… What are you doing to me? Let me down!"

"I think we'll take dinner, and you'll take a ride." I said. When the maggot heard the word RIDE he knew he was in for it as I placed inside an old small bubble ball and bowled him out the door.

"No… No, Mykan… Ooh… I hate it when he does this!" he cried as he tumbled about as his ball rolled. "Oh dear I can't stand—I am going to blow Chow-chow everywhere! Get me out of here! Aye-Aye-Aye-Aye--"

CRASH ! He hit the pig's trough pretty hard. "Well… I guess he's had enough." I said, "Shall we eat?" the others all nodded and when sat down to dinner.

The Maggot dizzily crawl and swayed out of the bubble. "Oh, My head! Oh, My head!" he groaned. "Oh… I don't feel well. Ooh… you just wait until I see you again wherever you are Mykan! Just wait until I-- Oh, I don't feel well--"

"I am going to hurt you!"

**_Meanwhile_**…

Somewhere, in the dark wastelands, A small plump Corpse that went by the name of Barrack was walking through the deserted lands.

"Oh, boy… this is what I get for serving Lord Barkis, an eternity in limbo?" he asked himself in a half shy and half dumb voice.

Barrack used to be Lord Barkis' faithful servant when he was alive and when Lord Barkis was rich. Then one night when out running an errand for his master, he ran into a pack of wicked fog and couldn't see where he was going.

He couldn't read the roads signs and steered his wagon right onto a bridge that was under repair. He fell right into the cold waters and drowned.

Ever since then he had lived here in the land of the Dead, until he could find some way to complete his unfinished business and make it to the next life. Ah well… for now he just spent his time exploring the land of the dead around him.

Suddenly, he was so lost in his day dreams, that he once again was not looking where he was going and walked right off a step slope.

"Whoa!" he banged and bopped down the sharp rocks. "AH… OOH… EEE… AGH!" Even though he was dead and was immune to the pain, it was still pretty frightful.

He just kept right on rolling and rolling, right into a small cave where he fell through a giant hole in the ground and finally stopped.

His head had come off in the commotion, but he picked it up and screwed it back on his body. "Oh, boy… Whoa. Oh, I tell what… Whoa!"

Suddenly he heard heavy footsteps coming towards him, and a deep angry voice yelling. "Who dares intrude on my solitude!"

That voice sounded, and up came a large tall Skeleton. "Get out you!" he growled while grabbing Barrack by the neck. "OUT… OUT I SAY--" but the he let him go as if he recognized him.

"B-B-Barrack… Is that you?" he asked in Lord Barkis' voice. It was him alright, Barrack could barely believe it.

"Master… is that you in the flesh?" he asked. But then he realized that Barkis had no flesh on him at all, just bones and eyes. "Sorry."

Lord Barkis was happy to finally have a familiar person to be with him. "Look at what's happened to me… I've been rotted away to… to… THIS!" he growled at himself. "Oh… and it's al because of that Victor Van Dort! Oh, how I loath him."

"I'm not surprised, Sir." Said Barrack. "I saw him one day with my own eyes. Victor is here in this world."

"WHAT!"

"Yah, yah… he married that Emily girl you killed and lives with her and that a… what's her face… uh, Victoria!"

It was bad enough for Barkis to deal with the fact that all three of the people who drove him to his death had done that, but now having to spend an eternity here in the same world with them.

"If only there was some way I could return to the living world." He said. "I could do my unfinished business and then finally teach all, dead or alive, who's the greatest of the greatest."

"What, you mean go see Elder Gutknecht?" asked Barrack.

"Whom?"

"Yeah… you now, the wisest one in all Dead-land he must have some kind of magic to help you get what you want."

An evil smile spread across Barkis' jaw "Of course…" he sniggered. "Ha, ha, ha…That's just what I'll do. I'll gain the Elder's magic and bestow it upon me. Then at last…"

His voice was making the whole cave echo with fear. "All who did this to me, Especially Emily will pay. Because I wonder… can a person be killed even after they are dead?"


	3. I think that It is wonderful

**CHAPTER THREE**

Barkis and Barrack had a hard time climbing out from that cave while trying not to drop any of their bones behind.

"Now… this Elder Gutknecht you say?" Barkis asked. "He has a private stash of books and things somewhere?"

"Sir, is this the face of a guy who'd lie to you." Said Barrack. "Come on, just think of it, soon you'll have your spung back into you and be your old nasty self again."

Barkis smiled wickedly, and then saw up ahead the old mountain trails leading up to the castle of where I used to work and live.

"That's the place… right there!" said Barrack.

"Right… on we go!" snapped Barkis and lead their wagon that they were traveling in at full speed.

"Whoa… Master please… I'm losing my flesh!" cried Barrack.

"You're lucky you haven't lost more than that!"

When the reached the up most point, they abandoned their wagon and proceeded up to the castle on foot. Of course as always the mountain trail leading up to my old castle was stepper but less slippery.

Obviously it seemed unoccupied, so they just walked right in and grabbed a torch to light things up. "My word… look at this dump." Barkis sneered at the main foyer.

"Wow…" cried Barrack. "This place is fabulous. You could just do so much with it. Of course it's a bit spooky."

"Barrack…" said Barkis and he gestured to Barracks hobo glove which was on fire from being too close to the fire on the torch.

"DEEEEEEYAH… AAAAAHHH!" He quickly put it out before it seeped to the rest of his outfit.

"If you're quite finished… let's look for the what we came for." Said Barkis and off they went in search of Elder Gutknecht's private library.

**_Meanwhile, back at the farm_**…

The dishes were really looking bare by the time dinner was over. "Too much, Victoria? We only just had enough." Said Emily.

Victor wiped his mouth clean. "Mmm… delectable Emily" he said. "And Victoria you're cooking is lovely too."

The ladies curtseyed, we all let out great big yawns as a sign as it was almost time for bed after a good long day.

Victor and I cleared the table and helped our wives wash the dishes. Victor even let Scraps outside to do his business in the yard before bed, and take the time to fetch Emily's maggot.

"Sometimes, I really wonder why I even bother hang out in her head."

We all shared one giant Bedroom upstairs with two king-sized four poster royal beds at opposite ends of the room.

Of course it was always dark in the land of the Dead, and Corpses didn't really always have to sleep, but that too was a sport we just didn't want to break.

As Emily brushed her hair she felt victors hand gently curl around her shoulders and began rubbing them. "Ooh… Oh, my!" she said sounding comfortable.

"Your shoulders are so delicate, darling." He whispered into her ear. "Like two little doves so close yet they'll never meet."

Emily smiled and moaned happily. She turned her head and gently peck Victor on the cheek.

Victoria and I were looking outside at the sleepy town in the distance, and yes even in this world our night sky did have stars, and a moon, they just weren't as good as the ones we knew when we were alive, but still it was a nice view.

"It's all so quiet, and beautiful." Said Victoria, "Mother never would let me near the window. Too improper for a young lady to be seen she said."

"Well your mother was as cold hearted as my loneliness was." I said, "That goes double for your father."

Normally Victoria wasn't too keen on someone insulting her parents, but then again I did have a point. It was her parents who really killed me, and made her life miserable until I came and took her away.

She nestled happily into my arms. "I do love you, Mykan. You know that?"

I gentility kissed my wife and held her close, "Of course I do… why wouldn't I. "You really are someone different Victoria, you the One of a kind that van ever be matched, just like I once was."

Victor and Emily joined us in our sight seeing. One-by-one the lights in the town went out, and most of the citizens had gone home to be. It was such a beautiful scene tonight we just had to sing our favorite bedtime song.

**_(Emily)_**

_I think that it is wonderful that I can see a star_

_When it's so very far away._

"_Hello Far away star."_

**_(Mykan)_**

_I think that it is wonderful that I can hear birds sing_

_When outside everything is still._

"_Hello Bird on the wing."_

Inside Emily's head, the Maggot was enjoying chewing the wax building up inside her ear.

**_(Maggot)_**

_I think that it is wonderful that to eat my food all up_

_Especially at suppertime_

"_Or breakfast time, or lunchtime. It doesn't matter"_

"_Hello delicious food."_

**_(Victoria)_**

_I think that it is wonderful that I can smell a rose_

_I'm so glad that my nose knows how_

"_Hello sweet smelling rose."_

**_(Victor)_**

_I think that it is wonderful to pet my dog named Scraps_

_It doesn't matter where we are._

"_Hello Scraps my dog."_

_(**All… in their own chorus**)_

_(I think that it is wonderful…)_

_(I think that it is wonderful…)_

_(That I can see…)_

_(And I can Smell)_

_(And I can hear birds sing)_

_(To pet my dog named scraps)_

_(Yes it is wonderful…)_

**_(ALL)_**

_I think that it is wonderful what we can do at night._

_(When it's so very far away)_

_(When outside everything is still)_

_(Especially at Suppertime)_

_(I'm so glad that my nose Knows how)_

_(It doesn't matter where we are)_

We all snuggled into bed…

_**(Emily)**_

_Good night Far away star._

**_(Mykan)_**

_Good night Bird on the wing._

**_(Maggot)_**

_Good night delicious food._

**_(Victoria)_**

_Good night sweet smelling rose._

**_(Victor)_**

_Good night Scraps my dog._

_**(Emily)**_

_**(Yawning)** Good night Far away star._

**_(Mykan)_**

_**(Yawning)** Good night Bird on the wing._

**_(Maggot)_**

_**(Yawning)** Good night delicious food._

**_(Victoria)_**

_**(Yawning)** Good night sweet smelling rose._

**_(Victor)_**

_**(Yawning)** Good night Scraps my dog._

And as the last of our song came to an end we all snuggled happily under the covers and fell into a warm comfortable sleep.


	4. In the dark of the night

**CHAPTER FOUR**

The Next morning…

Well, the land of the Dead doesn't have a sun, and the sky is still dark, just a little brighter and without the starts and supposed moon.

The Skeleton of a rooster made his way out of the henhouse, and slowly made his way to the little walkway up the tower by the house… and shooing the Skeleton birdies away.

He clucked angrily which the birds recognized as _"Coming through! HEY… Get lost!"_ and so they flew away and let him step up ready to crow in the morning, but as he warmed up his voice…

The Skeleton of a pesky duck was standing on the roof of the house and already making a type of louder, more annoying crow… and it wasn't for the first time either.

All of us shook awake at that awful sound. "Oh, not again." Cried Emily.

"We have to do something about that duck." I said.

Ah well… at least he got us up when we supposed to be. So we all got out of bed and washed up. We ate through breakfast quickly because Victor and Emily had a little shopping to do in town toady.

"Emily, come along, Dear." Victor called up the stairs.

"Here I come." Emily replied and she walked gently down the stairs as she was wearing her veil and train of her dress down. Her style of looking pretty when she goes out.

"Oh, my… but you look ravishing today." Victor said as he kissed her hand. Emily acted all shy and flattered.

"Hmm, mm… some things never change." I said. "You two run along and have a good time, we'll look after things here." Added Victoria.

Victor and Emily nodded and hopped onto a wagon. Victor slapped the whip "Gidup." The horses didn't move. He tried again "Gidup….GIDUUUUP." Emily giggled at how funny Victor looked.

He hopped out of the wagon and tried to push the horses to get them going, but still no progress. Victoria and I saw the commotion as we were working in the garden. "I'll handle this." I said.

Victoria always told me that Victor once said he had trouble with horses and getting them to obey. So I taught him just to be a little firm with them, show them who's boss.

I stood to the side of the wagon and, "… WHEN HE SAYS GIDUP, HE MEANS GIDUP!" and I kicked the wagon and the horses took off like a bullet, leaving Victor behind.

"Oops… hee, hee, hee… Here we go." Emily giggled. Victor got up and began chasing after his wife in the wagon. "Hey… hey wait for me!" he called.

I chuckled and gazed into my fingers. "Works every time." I said.

Victoria giggled. "You amaze me Mykan. Really you do." She said. "Quite frankly Victoria… I amaze myself too." I said, but our moment was spoiled when some of the animals growled and clucked from the barn.

"Alright, alright, I know you're hungry… I'm coming." I said grabbing some food pails on my way, and Victoria got back to her gardening.

A farmer's work never seemed to ever get done.

**_Later on_**…

Victor somehow managed to get back onto the wagon, but unfortunately they had already arrived in town. It sure was a good thing Victor had no breath to catch, otherwise Emily would have to had waited to do her shopping.

Spoiled Dog food for, Scraps. Undead Manure for the garden. New tools to help us with our chores… My, if Victor was still alive his arms would have broken long ago.

They stopped off at a fancy gourmet restaurant for lunch. The head waiter Paul, the spider crawling French head greeted them. "Ah… Madame Emily, and Monsieur. Victor… welcome, welcome, so wonderful to see you again."

Paul always had a very special table picked out just for Emily and Victor, and only they were allowed by Paul's rules allowed to sit at it. "'Ow could ever think about giving someone else the table of our Corpse Bride?"

Their table was at the top of the restaurant on the first class deck, and had the loveliest view of the town.

Victor pulled the chair out kindly to let his wife sit down. He even presented her with a single rose he had bought with his own money while she wasn't looking.

She felt all flattered, this was going to be a day to remember in her marriage… No it really was going to be.

**_Meanwhile, at the castle_**…

Barkis and Barrack found Elder Gutknecht's library and laboratory and had been scrounging all night through the books for a perfect formula to give Barkis what he wanted.

Power… and lots of it too.

"Oh, here here's good one sir." Said Barrack. _"Manganese, Phosphorus, Nitric, Lactic-acid and Dextrose."_

Barkis just banged his head on the Elders tall podium, "You idiot, I check that." He said. "That is the formula for a CHOCOLATE MALTED!"

Barrack went pink. "Oh… well… at least you wouldn't get hungry."

Barkis threw the last of the books in the big pile of all the others. "Oh, it's hopeless!" he grumbled. "There doesn't seem to be any other solution."

Barrack looked confused. "Uh, Sir… what do you mean by that?" he asked. "I mean if we can't find a way in these books, then the only other way would be--"

He caught the look his Master's Eye's. "Oh, oh, no sir… you can't you mustn't it's too dangerous!" he cried.

"Really? Well, as long as it will help me. I have no choice, or a care in the mater!" Barkis said, and he began mixing up a whole bunch of potions to one of the most evil spells anyone could imagine

"I will combine the spell to help me sell my soul for power." Replied Barkis as the lighting and thunder shook the skies. "And then all including Emily WIL PAAAAAAY!"

"Oh, dear… this is getting crazy." Cried Barrack.

**_(Barkis)_**

_In the dark of the night I was tossing and turning  
And the nightmare I had was as bad as can be --  
It scared me out of my wits --  
A corpse falling to bits!  
Then I opened my eyes  
And the nightmare was...me!_

_I was once the most prominent man in all __England_

**_(OOH, AHH, OOH)_**_  
When I met that wretch Emily, I made a mistake  
**(OOH AHH OOH)**_

_I can never see the light of day  
So for it, I shall make them pay  
My dear Emily, beware,  
Barkis is awake!_

**_(CREATURES)  
_**

_In the dark of the night evil will find them,  
In the dark of the night just before dawn!  
Aah... _

**_(Barkis)_**

_Revenge will be sweet _

**_(Barkis, AND CREATURES)_**

_When the curse is complete! _

**_(ALL)_**

_In the dark of the night _

**_(Barkis)_**

_They'll be gone!  
_

…

Barkis' plan seemed to be working, as his soul was extracted into the evil brew he conjured up, and was given back to him, along with a glowing Reliquary.

And the magic was real, as it began to give Barkis his Pale flesh back

…

**_(Barkis)_**

_I can feel that my powers are slowly coming!  
Tie my sash and a dash of cologne for that smell!  
As the pieces fall into place  
I'll see them crawl into place!  
So long Emily and friends, farewell! _

_**(CREATURES)**_

_In the dark of the night terror will strike them!_

_**(Barkis)**_

_Terror's the least I can do!_

_**(CREATURES)**_

_In the dark of the night evil will brew.  
Ooh!_

_**(Barkis)**  
_

_Soon they will feel that the nightmares are real. _

_**(ALL)**_

_In the dark of the night _

**_(Barkis)_**

_They'll be through! _

**_(CREATURES)_**

_In the dark of the night  
Evil will find her  
Find her!  
Ooh!  
In the dark of the night terror comes true.  
Doom them! _

**_(Barkis)_**

_My dears, here's a sign -- _

**_(Barkis, AND CREATURES)_**

_It's the end of the line! _

**_(ALL)_**

_In the dark of the night...  
In the dark of the night...  
In the dark of the night... _

**_(Barkis)_**

_Come my minions,  
Rise for your master,  
Let your evil shine!  
Find them now,  
Yes, fly ever faster _

_**(ALL)**  
_

_In the dark of the night...  
In the dark of the night...  
In the dark of the night... _

_**(Barkis)**_

_REVENGE WILL BE MINE!_

**_Author's Notes:_**

**_Hey everyone, Mykan here…_**

**_Pretty scary, huh? Well, alright, you got me. I do have a little borrowed Footage from Anastasia to help back things up, but I just couldn't think of anything else suitable to put._**

**_Ah well._**


	5. Unnatural Occurances

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Little green smoke demons from Barkis' new Reliquary and slowly began making their way towards the town.

**_Meanwhile, at the restaurant_**…

Had placed their orders, and were now pouring the wine into their glasses. "To my darling Victor." Emily toasted, "and our wonderful marriage."

"Here, here, my love." Victor said, and they clinked their glasses and slowly sipped their wine.

Suddenly they heard a familiar coughing sound coming from the entrance to the room Where two waitresses were helping none other than.

"Why, Elder Gutknecht." Said Emily.

The good Elder fixed his glasses. "Oh… oh… my dear." He said. "Didn't expect to see you here, nor you Victor, my boy."

Victor nodded politely. "Pleasure to see you again, sir." He said. "Do you suppose he could join us?" Victor asked, and the waitresses couldn't see why not.

Elder ordered his food and carried on with a wonderful chat with his dearest friends. "Tell me… how are things going at the farm?" he asked. "And Victoria, and Mykan… how are they?"

Well… to Emily and Victor's story, things sounded pretty well, but back at the farm things were actually about to go horribly wrong.

**_Meanwhile, at the farm_**…

Scraps was in a part of the field sniffing for a good place to burry one of his bones. Not HIS skeleton bones of course, just a normal bone he had found.

When suddenly up ahead he saw something that made his Jaw literally drop off his mouth, but got it back.

What he saw was Tens of little green Smokey creatures ripping away at the fences around the farm. Scraps could tell that this was a sign of trouble so he ran off towards the garden.

He barked alarmingly to try and get Victoria's attention. "No, no, Scraps not now." she simply said and carried on with her gardening.

Scraps kept on trying, but Victoria just thought he was trying to look. "Scraps I'm busy, not now." she replied.

So Scraps ran off towards the barn where I was busy milking the cows. _Milking the cows? How can a Dead cow even be milked?_

Scraps barked and barked to get my Attention, but just as Victoria, I ignored him. That is, unlit he got so desperate that he ran off with my milk bucket in his mouth.

"Scraps!" I called while chasing him. "Come back here with that, this instant!"

By this time, the Green demons decided to combine themselves into a spinning cyclone, and when Scraps lead me outside. "Hey… what's going on?" I said as my cape began flying madly in the wind.

"Mykan…" called Victoria, "What's going on? Where did this wind come from?" then we looked up to where Scraps was standing and saw a gigantic green twister ripping the farm to pieces.

"Oh good… GOD!"

Victoria and I ran for the house. "Quick… into the Storm cellar!" I cried. "Hurry!" Scraps and Victoria ran in, and I climbed in a locked the doors tight.

But what little good it did us, the house was beginning to fall down. Even though we were already dead and wouldn't get hurt… it still wasn't a good thing.

**_Meanwhile_**…

The entire town was quivering slightly. "What… what's happening?" Victor asked as the shaking got stronger, and then suddenly it stopped.

Everyone in the town were most confused. "We don't have Earthquakes." Said Emily. "Do we, Elder Gutknecht?"

The good Elder scathed at the crack on his skull. "Well, it's not natural." He said, but, then shaking started up again.

Everyone looked up in horror as little smoke demons zoomed through the city and really lay damage to the streets. Emily's maggot popped out again. "What's going on… it's even messier in here." He said.

Broken glass lay everywhere, some stands were knocked over. "Those… those creatures." Cried Elder Gutknecht. "Oh, my, my, my… this is rather serious."

Emily and Victor suddenly began to feel worried. "Mykan… Victoria!" cried Victor. "Oh, darling… do think they're alright?" cried Emily.

Luckily their wagon was still okay, so they rode back to the farm, with Elder, and found it in ruins.

"Dear, God!" cried Victor.

The house was in rubble, the Barn was rubble, there was no sign of any of the animals, except for a three legged Scraps.

"Scraps… Oh, you poor boy." Victor said as he helped his poor dog up onto the wagon. Just then the rubble by the remains of the house began moving, and Victoria dug herself out. "Oh… my!" she coughed. "Help… get me out of here."

Victor ran over and helped her out of the ashes. "Thank you, Victor….thank you." She was all still in one piece, but badly shaken as she walked over to the wagon.

Emily walked over to observe the damage. "Our home… look at it." She cried. "Yes..." added Victor as he climbed further up the rubble. "It looks as though a hurricane came through here."

"_It did!" _called a muffled voice.

"Mykan… is that you?" Victor asked. He looked around. "Where are you, old boy?"

"_You're… standing on me!"_ I cried.

Victor looked by his feet and saw one of my arms. "I wha-- AGH!" he hopped off and began digging me out.

"Oh… goodness." I said. "It was awful down there."

We made our way back to the wagon. We decided to take Scraps to Elder Gutknecht's real home to give him a fourth leg so he could walk again.

"Oh, my poor little dog, whatever's happened to you?" Victor said as he cradled his poor dog. "What happened today?"

Victoria and I told them we were working about doing our chores round the farm, when suddenly this twister came out of nowhere and made a mess of things.

"What's that… a Twister you say?" asked Elder, "Impossible I say, there's no air down here no matter where you go."

The Maggot popped through Emily's eye. "Gee… do you think maybe there's something that we are over looking here."

Emily pulled him out of her eye socket before putting her eye back. "What makes you so certain about this?" she asked.

"Have I ever been wrong before?" the Maggot asked. "I mean… when it was important?"

"Well… he does have a point." Said Elder. "Some research would do us some good on this… whatever it is?"

That was the least of our worries right now, what we really wanted to know was. Was the worst over… or yet to come?


	6. Big Bored Blues

**CHAPTER SIX**

Barkis seemed pleased with the result of his little experiment. "Ha-Ha… It's works!!" he cried happily as he cackled and laughed. "It really actually works!!"

Barrack applauded. "Oh, congratulations, Sir well done." He said, "But… they are still up and about."

"Of course they're still up and about, You fool!" Barkis said. "First of all I had to test my newly acquired powers."

"Yah…"

"Second: You know very much as I do that every creature down here is immortal from their deaths. No one down here in this world can ever be killed, not just like that in any case!"

"Uh huh…"

"A finally: Why get them right away, when I can enjoy every minute making them suffer? That's what makes revenge so entertaining."

"Oh yeah, Sure, sure…" replied Barrack. "What ever was I thinking, Sir?"

Barkis stroked his Reliquary like a cat. "And making the people of this world suffer… is only the beginning. Hmm, mm!"

**_Meanwhile_**…

Elder Gutknecht's tower, in the center of the town, was one of the only buildings not damaged by the demons.

He had just finished giving Scraps a new leg "Ah… there you are, Young Scraps. Good as new."

Scraps barked happily. Victor patted him on the head, and Emily pecked his cheek. "Oh, what a brave boy you were." She said.

"Who's my good boy." Victor said. Victoria held her hands with that _"Aww, isn't that adorable."_ Looks on her face, and I smiled at the happy little dog.

"Well that takes care of that." I said. "Now what do we do?"

Elder looked confused. "What's that…?" he asked. He scratched away at the crack in his skull and twisting his long thin beard "Have I forgotten something?"

We all shared sighs of pity, and then gestured out the window to the mess that still lay about in the town below. "Oh… oh yes, of course." Replied Elder.

He remembered that we had come to figure out where those green demons had come from, and what was going on around here.

"Let me just consult my notes." Said Elder. "Now… where did I put that book?" he rummaged through a shelf loaded with books… which were all sadly the same color and size.

"Uh… no, no that's not it." He mumbled. "Ah, here we are, the large purple one." He said but that one wasn't the correct on either.

"Can you all please help me?" he asked. "We're looking for a big Purple book." We all shared confused looks. "But, Sir… they're all large and purple." Said Victor.

"Huh?" Elder looked at the case. "Oh… of course they are." He said. "OH wait now I remember… It's not on this shelf."

He walked up his staircase of books and opened a rather filthy box. He coughed as the dust gave way to reveal a large fat red and black book. "This could take a while, so just make yourselves comfortable." He replied and got down to his research.

So we waited…

and waited…

and just for a little change of pace, we waited some more.

Questions began racing through our minds.

What was going on here? What was this all about? And most importantly, if it wasn't over yet, what were going to do about? What could we do about it?

After what seemed like endless hours, we all looked pretty bored and tired of just sitting around like this doing nothing.

Emily was resting her tired head on Victor's shoulder and used her veil for a blanket. Victor was resting his head on a pile of sheets that to him felt like a pillow, and Scraps had fallen asleep on the floor a while ago.

Victoria finding it harder and harder to stay comfortable where she sat, and as for me. Well… I was sitting like that statue, "The Thinker." Only I was so bored that my fist was slowly slipping up from my face.

I snapped myself back into my regular position, only to slowly fade away again. Well, it would help a little if we sang about it…

**_(Mykan)_**

_We've been here for hours,_

_But it feels like a year_

_How much more can we stand,_

_Before we answer our fear._

**_(ALL)_**

_I got the big bored blues_

_From head to shoes_

_I am bored._

_**(We've been here a long time, and we've got the blues.)**_

_I got the big bored blues_

_It's not what I choose_

_But I'm really, really bored._

**_(Victoria)_**

_There are so many things,_

_I could do today._

_But no, I am sitting here,_

_And feeling this way._

**_(ALL)_**

_I got the big bored blues_

_From head to shoes_

_I am bored._

_**(We've been here a long time, and we've got the blues.)**_

_I got the big bored blues_

_It's not what I choose_

_But I'm really, really bored._

**_(Victor)_**

_How long have I been here?_

_How much more can I take?_

_Why ever I must sit here_

_And do nothing to keep me awake._

**_(ALL)_**

_I got the big bored blues_

_From head to shoes_

_I am bored._

_**(We've been here a long time, and we've got the blues.)**_

_I got the big bored blues_

_It's not what I choose_

_But I'm really, really bored._

**_(Emily)_**

_It may not much longer,_

_But I really don't know._

_The only thing I would like_

_Is to end this boredom of woe _

**_(ALL)_**

_I got the big bored blues_

_From head to shoes_

_I am bored._

_**(We've been here a long time, and we've got the blues.)**_

_I got the big bored blues_

_It's not what I choose_

_But I'm really, really bored._

_I got the big bored blues_

_It's not what I choose_

_But I'm really, really bored._

We all collapsed onto the floor. "Ah… here we are." Said Elder Gutknecht. "I have found the solution everyone."

We all looked up and all softly peeped. "Splendid." And we collapsed back the floor. Elder wondered if it was something he said. The Maggot popped through Emily's Ear. "I think it's more like something you did." He said.

_**Author's notes:**_

_**Hi, Mykan again…**_

**_Just thought you'd all like to know, that Big Bored Blues song, that's my handwriting. I know it's not really Corpse Bride style, singing a song like that, but… who would really care about that?_**


	7. Fight Witchcraft WITH Witchcraft

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

"Witchcraft!" Victor asked. "Those monsters were caused by someone using witchcraft?"

Elder nodded. "There is no other explanation." He said. "I have studied many of conditions throughout the ages, and nothing else could cause such calamity."

This was very serious, it meant that someone was out there with a rather evil plan in mind. It only seemed that the first set of demons was merely a test of the power.

"Is there anyway at all we can stop whatever is causing this?" I asked

"Well… there just might be one." Said Elder. He revealed a hidden door behind one of his bookshelves, which lead to a rather unusual looking corridor. "Just through the other door please."

We all walked in and then Elder climbed in too and shut the door. Suddenly, Emily stopped moving, she ran into a solid wall. This caused us all to jumble about in the cramped room.

"What's this…"

"Hey, there isn't any other door!"

"There's no way out!"

"Well I know there's a door here somewhere." Elder said amongst all us crowding folks, but he secretly was just playing around with us as if t protect something special.

"I don't like this Elder, I don't like this at all!"

"Is this a trick or something, Elder!"

"Help, someone help! I'm getting crushed, Save me!"

"My eye… where's my eyes!"

"Watch it, Scraps!"

Elder suddenly dropped his act and stood at the door. "Ah, yes here we are."

"Well don't be a darn old fool, Elder. That's the way we came in here." I snorted.

Elder examined the door. "Is it… is it really?"

"We've just gone through there." Said Emily, but when elder opened up the door, instead of seeing the room we had just come from we were staring at the beginning of a massive spiral staircase.

Elder Grabbed a lit torch and gazed a smart look at us all. "Never underestimate the knowledge of a wise old-man." He said. "Come along everybody."

We followed him, down, down, the stairs until we reached a door at the very bottom, you'd think we were in the bowels of the Earth..

"Now I want you all to be extremely careful…" he replied as picked the locks. "There is dangerous stuff inside."

We all walked through the door way, and our jaws dropped in amazement. "Ooh!" what a sight to behold. It was as if we had just walked into a witches lair.

Eye of newt, Wing of bat, Eye-ball frogs, and all kinds of other mysterious and strange ingredients on the shelves in jars. Smoking cauldrons, boiling beakers, and a piled of old spell books on a massive work table.

"Amazing! What is this place?" asked Victoria.

"This is my old laboratory, but haven't used it since the days of King Arthur." Said Elder.

Nobody in this dead land knew exactly how long Elder Gutknecht had officially been down here. With his vast amounts of knowledge, and knowing of famous people, it was guessed that he first came here centuries ago.

But that was enough about that… we needed a plan on how to defend against these strange spells and incantations threatening the town.

"I have made extensive studies of the arts of witch craft and wizardry." He said. "The way I see it… we're going to have battle witchcraft with witchcraft."

We all shared a confused look. "Are you saying that you're going to seek out this darkness, whatever it may be and finish it off?" asked Emily.

"What… me?" Elder said. "Oh, my dear… don't be ridiculous. It is you all who shall do this, not I."

Our eyes widened. "You mean… that we're actually going to go out there… search for this Darkness… and finish it off if need be?" asked Victor.

Elder hesitated and said. "Well… that would be putting it simple… but Yes."

"This is insane." I said. "How are we supposed to fend of Witchcraft using Witchcraft? We haven't any witchcraft inside of us in the least."

Elder knew one of us was going to say that "Of course you don't have witchcraft my boy; Not yet." He said. "But you will, soon enough."

He grabbed a small pair of tongs and asked to rip off a small fragment of our pale flesh. "It is the most vital ingredient in our experiment, and will not work with out a portion of the subjects."

Deciding not to waste time in arguing we each let him rip off a tiny fragment of our flesh. "Thank you all." He said. "Now, this won't take too long."

Well, that was good thing, meaning we didn't have to wait around again like before, but still we were concerned about something.

The Smoke demons, obviously they were working for someone with an evil mind, and even though he had attacked our home towns… we weren't entirely certain it was only us this character was after.

**_Meanwhile, in the land of the living_**…

A whole year had passed. A weary traveling young couple rode in their wagon back into London town.

"Oh, my… I've never felt so tired before." William Van Dort complained. "Oh, if only we hadn't lost Mayhew back there."

His aggravated wife Nell slapped her husband's head with her fan. "Would you stop complaining!" she snapped. "A whole year has passed and, Victor is still missing."

"And that's a problem because…?" her Husband asked, only to get slapped again.

"We must find our son, and find him a suitable wife if we are to pass on our fortune." Nell replied.

With the Everglots still in Jail for their crime which lead to my death, and unbeknownst to them that both Victor and Victoria were one of us dead people. The Van Dorts saw this as a catastrophe.

They had made so much money in their fish business, and now had no one to pass it off to. Knowing Victor's mother, she simply didn't approve of finding anyone else as a successor.

But then again as victor once said. _"She never approved of anything."_

But unfortunately, while in the search for their lost son, their driver Mayhew choked on his pipe smoking, and died. So they were wandering about blindly in the outskirts of town.

The same night Victor married Emily, and drank the Wine of ages (Poison) which killed him and turned him into a corpse. He and my sister were married, and Victor was taken back to the land of the dead, never to be heard from again.

So the Van Dorts were still left with no heir to their vast fortune, and no hope of things turning out for the better.

**_Meanwhile, at the castle_**…

Lord Barkis was using his Green Reliquary to form a ball showing him of what was going on in upper world.

"Unless my eyes beseech me… those are the parents of that rotted young lad, Victor." He said deeply. "Hmm… this could be a golden opportunity for me."

"If I may ask, sir…" said Barrack. "Just what can a couple of no good living fish merchants do to help you?"

"Barrack, you have the brains of a maggot at sometimes." Replied Barkis. "did you not hear what they had said… they have money. Mountains of it."

His eyes seemed to take the shape of dollar signs. "After all… if I'm to take control of the land of living again, I'll need a fortune to help get me started."

"Yeah… just one problem, master. They said that they wouldn't give their money to just anyone." Said Barrack.

"I KNOW THAT, DUMMY!" Barkis shouted. Barrack fell off the table in fear.

"Of course they will not give it to me… Not willingly." Replied Barkis. "Which is why I will just have to enforce things a little… Ha, ha, ha!"


	8. The Posh, Posh Traveling life

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

"Ah, there we are. All finished." Said Elder Gutknecht. "Alright everyone, gather round." We all approached him with a look of excitement in our eyes. What wonders of witchcraft was he going to lend us.

Perhaps powerful wands? Magic Potions? Spell Books?

We actually all he gave us were four glowing Reliquaries each. Emily's was Blue, Victoria's was Pink, Mine was Red, and Victor's was Yellow. "Uh… how can these help us with Witchcraft?" Victor asked. "Their just… plain glass reliquaries."

"Well, yes, but they are not ordinary ones." Replied Elder. "Each one of them contains a special type of magic that each of you will be able to control."

The Maggot popped through Emily's eye. "You mean they'll be able to pull rabbits out of hats, and make birds appear out of cages?" he asked.

This time, Emily pulled him out of her head before putting her eye back in. "I don't know about that, but I hope I'll be able to make YOU disappear." She said.

The Maggot quivered. "I'll be good."

"Pay attention everyone, please." Said Elder. "No, those are just ordinary magician's tricks, but what you all will be able to do is much different."

Elder first told us, that even though we were already dead in any case, the demons would not be able to do too much to us as long as we had our Reliquaries on us at all times.

With them, we'd be able to do certain things that would not really destroy the demons, but in fact make them want to retreat until the next time, because we'd be able to conquer them with many types of spells.

We'd be able to Transport ourselves anywhere we wished. Event he land of the living. We be able to summon our own little creatures to do battle with the monsters, as well as repair damages done.

However… we must take great care of the Reliquaries, because if they were to be broken even in the slightest, we'd lose all our powers, and worse…

If we were up on the surface world, and they were destroyed completely, we still lose all our powers and then return to the land of the dead immediately.

Well… this seemed simple enough. Now all we had to do was wait until the monsters made the next move, perhaps it would lead us to our real goal… To find who is causing them and put them out of action.

**_Meanwhile, at the castle_**…

Lord Barkis decided it was time… "Time for the Van Dort's up there to take a little pleasure ride." He sniggered, but when he looked over, His Green Reliquary was missing. "What, BARRACK!!" he roared.

Barrack came through the door with Reliquary in his hand. "You bellowed, Sir." He said.

"What are you doing with that?" Barkis asked angrily.

"I noticed this thing looked rather filthy, sir. So I cleaned I for you." Barrack said as he walked over to hand it back, but tripped on a rug and the Reliquary went flying out of his hands.

"YOU IDIOT!!" cried Barkis, and he leapt up and grabbed it just before it whammed right into the wall. "Oh, goodness… that was too close."

Then he got up and back Barrack into a corner. "Whoa, okay now master, take it easy. You don't want to lose your head now."

Barkis shot the Reliquary right in his face. "Have you forgotten that I _sold my soul_ for this?!" he said deeply. "My very existence, and everything else I have depends on it… and you… ALMOST DESTROYED IT!!!"

Barrack trembled in fear at the green glowing glass. "I get it, I get it!" he cried. "You break it, You bought it."

"See to it that you remember." Said Barkis. Then he began to let some smoke demons loose "Now… go my minions. Go and fulfill your orders."

**_Meanwhile, in the other world_**…

Victor's parents decided to go looking for Victor again. "Perhaps he's over by the cliffs near the sea." Said William, but Nell only shook her head.

"I forbad Victor from ever going anywhere near any water regions, it wouldn't right for a young gentlemen." She snorted. "Now turn around and lets go the other way."

William sometimes thought why ever did he marry such a woman. Who didn't approve of much, and sometimes even let him do all the work… even sitting outside driving the wagon.

Suddenly, something didn't seem to be going right. He tried to signal the horses to go left, but they didn't seem to move an inch. "William… I thought I said turn around!" his wife bellowed.

"I… I'm trying… but it's not working!!" he cried. The suddenly he noticed that neither the horses feet or the wagon was even on the ground.

Unbeknownst to the that it was Lord Barkis' demons under the wagon. Who also detached the horses and lifted the wagon high into the air over the sea. "What's going on… Hey… WE'RE FLYING!!!"

**_Meanwhile_**…

Our four Reliquaries began glowing wildly, as the sign of a warning of trouble. "It's coming from the world of the living." Said Victoria. "Look!"

She projected an image of what was going on. "What is that thing?" she then asked.

"It looks like a coach." I said. "A normal average coach just hovering over the water."

"And who's that in and on the coach?" asked Emily.

Victor took one good hard look at the familiar looking folks who seemed troubled and gasped. "Why it's… it's my Mother and Father." He cried. "What ever are they doing up there?"

The images showed Nell, and William waving their arms around and calling for help._ "Help us, somebody help us… We're being kidnapped!"_

"We've got to do something." Cried Victor.

"Indeed you must." Added Elder, "Now remember, keep an eye on your Reliquaries, and don't fall into any water."

We understood that. Corpses and Skeletons didn't like to et wet, because it made us all crusty and slimy, and ever slowed made us feel fatigued, but no time to worry about that now.

We all joined hands and raised our Reliquaries, then we vanished in a puff of smoke, and began our journey to save Victor's parents. Victor hoped they were alright.

Well… if he knew his father, he'd be having the time of his life.

**_Meanwhile_**…

_**(William)**_

_This is livin', this is style,_

_this is elegance by the mile…_

_Oh the posh, posh traveling life, the traveling life for me  
First cabin and captain's table regal company  
Whenever I'm bored I travel abroad but ever so properly  
Port out, starboard home, posh with a capital P-O-S-H, posh_

Nell couldn't believe her husband. Here they were hover hundreds of feet over the water, with no idea of where they were going, and all he could do was SING!!

_**(William)**_

_The hands that hold the scepters, every head that holds a crown  
They'll always give their all for me they'll never let me down  
I'm on my way to far away tah tah and toodle-oo  
And fare thee well, and Bon Voyage arrivederci too  
_

_OH the posh posh traveling life, the traveling life for me  
First cabin and captain's table regal company  
Pardon the dust of the upper crust--fetch us a cup of tea  
Port out, starboard home, posh with a capital P-O-S-H, posh.  
_

Before his life as a fish merchant, William enjoyed traveling the world with his father and grandfather, but of all the exotic ways they had traveled before… This outdid them all.

_**(William)**_

_In every foreign strand I land the royal trumpets toot me  
The royal welcome mat is out  
They 21 gun salute me  
But monarchies are constantly commanding me to call  
Last month I missed the Mufti but you can't oblige them all  
_

_Oh the posh posh traveling life, the traveling life for me  
Oh rumpetly tumpety didy didy dee dee dee dee dee…_

"William, will you silence that singing!" Nell bellowed, "Or I shall have to gag you!"

William had heard enough, so he grabbed his wife's purse and tossed it out and into the water. "What… you threw out my purse!" she thundered, and then her fan was next.

"Let this teach you, Nell, me love." He said to her…

_**(William)**_

_Oh the posh posh traveling life, the traveling life for me  
First cabin and captain's table regal company  
When I'm at the helm the world's my realm and I do it stylishly_

_Port out, starboard home, posh with a capital P-O-S-H…_

Nell thought there was no point in complaining anymore, so she decided to just sit back and enjoy the ride while it lasted.

_**(William)**_

_P-O-S-H, P-O-S-H...  
Posh._


	9. Be prepared

**CHAPTER NINE**

Early the next morning, the people of London town were startled by four strange clouds, that sped over the town at an unusual speed, and seemed to settled into the forest nearby the cliffs over the sea.

"Oh my." Victoria said as she looked. "We've returned."

Emily, Victor, and I recognized this forest anywhere. It was the same one where Victor found Emily laying under the tree for a long time, and where I took shelter from during my quest for happiness when I met Victoria.

My cabin wasn't there anymore. My guess is that the citizens finally tore it down, as it was rather old and decrepit, but I would always remember it.

Right now we had to worry about going after Victor's parents. "Wait…" Victor said, "We can't just go out there like this, what if someone sees us?"

Victor had a point, the first two times the dead walked amongst the living, everyone who saw us was scared to their own deaths. Well, with the exception of those who were happy to have short reunion with their departed loved ones.

"_Don't tell me you've forgotten." _Called a familiar voice.

We all looked around. "Did anyone else just hear--?" Emily asked. We all nodded.

"_Yes My dear, you all heard me."_

We looked around again. "Hello? Elder Gutknecht, Is that you, sir?" I asked. "Where are you?"

"_Put your Reliquaries in the center." _His voice said. We all did as told, and each of them lit up and produced a kind of holographic transmission from the land of the dead. _"Ah… oh, that's better."_

We all stared at the image in amazement. Victor even tried to run his hand through it, but couldn't even feel it. "This is incredible." He said. "A way of keeping close contact with each other.

"_Yes… but we must keep this short though." _Said Elder. _"I have seen without doubt that your parents have been taken to an uncharted island somewhere in the southern Atlantic, but by as to why, I don't know."_

"_You each will have to use your powers and fly to the island, but as victor had put it, you must try and stay hidden, so I have added a special potion to your Reliquaries that will make you all invisible."_

"Invisible?" we all asked.

Elder nodded, and told us that all we had to do give a single rub on the glass on the Reliquaries. So we gave it a try, and sure enough, we all Vanished in thin air.

"_Oh… oh my."_ Cried Victor.

"_This is incredible."_ I said. Except for the reliquaries themselves, we couldn't see each other, but we could still hear ourselves, and tell where we were by the reliquaries.

"_Now remember this…"_ replied Elder, _"You can reappear at any time by rubbing the glass the other way, but remember not to get yourselves wet or moistened, or you'll reappear instantly, and be unable to disappear for awhile."_

Even though he couldn't see us, he could tell we were being honest. "We promise, Elder." Said Victoria, "And thank you again." Elder smiled, and the image vanished.

Of course it would take us a little time to get used to the fact that we couldn't see each other. _"Emily… where are you_." Cried Victor.

"_I'm here Victor." _Emily said as she, or rather her Blue Reliquary moved towards the Red one.

"_Uh… Emily… Victor's the yellow one, over there." _I said.

"_Perhaps it would be better if we reappeared." _Victoria suggested. So we did. We didn't really need to be invisible yet, after all were only going to be flying over the ocean… Weren't we?

**_Meanwhile, in the world of the dead_**…

Lord Barkis saw everything. "Master, we have to stop them." Cried Barrack. "We can't just let those four go after the Van Dort's like that.

"Oh… but we can… and we shall." said Barkis.

"Yes… yeas, of course we shall. We--" Barrack scratched his head. "We shall, sir?"

Barkis nodded. "Why bother go after them now when we can set the stage so we can hit many birds with the same stone?"

True his plan involved him taking out Emily and stealing the Van Dort's money, but why stop there when England was full of riches and loot for him to get his hands on, and to obtain such a goal, he had to be prepared.

_**(Barkis)**_

_I know that my life of retention  
Was as wet as a warthog's backside  
But thick as you are, pay attention  
My words are a matter of pride_

_It's clear from your vacant expression  
The lights are not all on upstairs  
But we're talking kings and successions  
Even you can't be caught unawares_

_So prepare for a chance of a lifetime  
Be prepared for sensational news  
A shining new era  
Is tiptoeing nearer_

_**(Barrack)**_

_And where do we feature?_

_**(Barkis)**_

_Just listen to teacher  
I know it sounds sordid  
But you'll be rewarded  
When at last I am given my dues  
And injustice deliciously squared  
Be prepared!_

_**(Creatures)**_

_It's great that we'll soon be connected.  
With a king who'll be all-time adored._

_**(Barkis)**_

_Of course, quid pro quo, you're expected  
To take certain duties on board  
The future is littered with prizes  
And though I'm the main addressee  
The point that I must emphasize is  
You won't get a sniff without me!  
So prepare for the coup of the century_  
**_(Oooh!)_**  
_Be prepared for the murkiest scam_

_**(Oooh... La! La! La!)**  
Meticulous planning  
**(We'll have power!)**  
Tenacity spanning  
**(Lots of power)**  
Ages of denial  
**(We repeat)**  
Is simply why I'll  
**(An Endless treat)**  
Be king undisputed  
**(Aaaaaaah...)**  
Respected, saluted  
**(...aaaaaaah...)**  
And seen for the wonder I am  
**(...aaaaaaah!)**  
Yes, my teeth and ambitions are bared  
**(Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo)**  
Be prepared!_

_**(ALL)**_

_Yes, our teeth and ambitions are bared  
Be prepared!_

Barkis evil laughter echoed on as his demons raced to the land of the living with only one thing in mind. Trouble, pure trouble.

They stole money from poor people. They ransacked many houses looking for loot, and even carry more exceedingly rich people to the island in the Atlantic.

"Now then…" Barkis said. "As for Emily… I have something much more ingenious when she and the other reach the island."


	10. Can Victor be Brave?

**CHAPTER TEN**

There was the island up ahead. "There, now you see, I told you we should've turned left." I said. "Alright, so I made a mistake." Said Emily, "No need to rub it in."

"Never mind that now." said Victor "Look up there on that mountain top."

The island was rather large with a tall mountain in the center with a big castle on the top. We had good feeling that was what we were looking for, but it seemed too dangerous just to waltz right in.

We settled down on the upper parts of the beach so as not to touch the water. We all stretched about and some of our bones gave a comforting crack from our hours of flight.

"Oh, it certainly feels good to be back on solid ground again." Said Victoria. "But what do we do now?"

"It's obvious isn't it?" Said Emily. "We're going to make our way across this jungle and, to the mountain, and up to the Castle."

"No, no Emily, not yet." Said Victor. "We can't just go barging in there yet when we still haven't the slightest of what we could run into."

"Victor's got a point." I said. "We should use extreme caution. No telling what sort of hocus pocus we could run into in that jungle."

We slowly proceeded deep into the Jungle. A few poison snakes leapt for us, but couldn't kill us, as we were already dead. Still, that didn't stop us from zapping them with our powers.

It was even a little embarrassing when Emily got her veil caught in the branches, or me getting my cape stuck in a bush. Victor yipping just because he got stuck in the mud, or Victoria tripping over a branch and one of her legs coming off.

I passed my wife her leg. "I think you dropped something." I said. She took it and reattached it back on to her knee, and we continued forward as the sun set.

Jagged rocks and fallen logs, as well as thick brambles made it hared to get through. "It would certainly save us trouble if we could blow our way through." Said Victor.

But none of us agreed to that. "Blasting the our way through could cause a fire." I said. "It would burn our bones to a crisp and possibly even spread to the castle. We just can't risk it."

Victor sighed. "Well, I tried."

**_Meanwhile_**…

Lord Barkis had finally captured enough people so that the dungeons in his castle were all full. Except for a small space left that he was saving for someone special.

"It's time for me to go." He said. "Time for our little appointment with Emily and Family."

"Go? You mean up there Sir?" asked Barrack. "By why not just send a few dangers up there get them all that way?"

Barkis just gave him an angry glare telling him to be quiet. "Because, Why bother let others do it when you can have much more fun doing it yourself." He said. "Honestly, can't you ever think of anything useful to say?"

"Oh, yeah sure, call me stupid whatever." Barrack muttered under his breath.

"What are you muttering about?" his Master asked.

Barrack had to think fast. "Uh… Oh, I was just thinking about that Emily and her stinking family, Sir." He said. "Why If I was out there, I'd give them WHA… and a HI-YA… and grind them to pieces."

Barkis really thought Barrack being silly, but right now he had bigger fish to fry. _"Even if they have their own Reliquary's, Mine is the ultimate one." _He thought to himself.

Because he sold his soul for his Reliquary, that meant he was much more power than us, because all we did to get our powers was mix up a few potions with a fragment of our flesh.

Well, okay… it was Elder Gutknecht who did it, but it still changed nothing. Lord Barkis was the stronger one.

"Well, time to go." Said Barkis as he slipped on his coat. "Come Barrack, we have a date with destiny." Then he transformed himself into a spinning tornado.

"What… Oh, no… Sir, wait. I'll get air sick." Barrack cried. "I REALLY CAN'T SAND TORNADO'S!!" he tried to run but he got pulled right in.

"Oh, no… Whoa… Whoa… Whoa… Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, WHO-A-A-A-A-A-A-A!!!"

And the Tornado blasted up through the roof, and drilled it's way up to the land of the living. It tore through the town on it's way over the sea, and really made a mess of things.

**_Meanwhile, on the island_**…

The Castle dungeon was really starting to get cramped. Victor's parents and a lot of other rich people were struggling just get comfortable.

Nell had it the hardest because, well… she was rather plump, thereby taking up more space than others. "Oh, William do something!" she bellowed.

William tried "Hey, move over will you?!"

"I'm in my territory!"

"Hey, watch it will you!"

William covered his eyes in disgrace. "Oh, I can't wait for this to be over."

**_Meanwhile_**…

We were getting closer and closer to the mountain, but we decided that it was far too dark to do anything else. So we just decided to make camp where we were and wait for first light.

So using our Reliquaries, we conjured up a quite little camp, with two tents, and a roaring bonfire. Still, even though we had more light now, Victor was still a little edgy.

Victoria once heard from Victor's parents that he was so terrified of the dark that he nearly wet himself silly.

"Victor… calm down." I said. "Don't be so afraid."

"Afraid…?" Victor trembled. "Oh, I'm way beyond afraid. I am petrified. Absolutely frightened." Then suddenly he jumped at the sight of a shadow… which turned out to be his own.

"Oh, Victor." Emily said. "It's really not that bad. I spent years in the darkness. I grew used to it as if it were my home world."

As Victor poked at the fire with a long stick. He really began to take his wife's word. "I remember, father used to tell me. _"If you're afraid if something, you have to stand and face it."_

"But then again… he hardly ever followed his own advice, and still got scared at little things. Even mother must still scare him."

As Victor began to go deeper into thought we all saw that he hadn't taken the _Wooden stick_ out of the _flames_, and that the flames were slowly creeping up to his coat sleeve.

"Uh… Darling?" Emily said trying to show him what was happening, but victor was thinking too deeply to notice.

He was thinking about what it would be like to actually do something really, really brave. So brave that it might even make him the hero of the day.

"Victor… Victor, your coat." Cried Victoria. By this time, the cuff on Victor's sleeve began to blaze and was slowly creeping up the rest of the way. Of course Victor couldn't feel the warmth or pain, so he still didn't notice.

"Yes. That's what I'll do." He said bravely, he finally put the stick down, but still didn't notice he himself was on fire. "I promise you all, I will find a way to see us through this dark trouble. I will help us rescue my parents… I will do something brave!"

"VICTOR!!" I yelled, finally getting his attention, and then gestured to his arm. Victor slowly turned to face his sleeve.

"YAGH… AHH!!" he panicked and slammed his arm several times on the ground extinguishing the flames. "Oh-oh, my goodness."

"Well… It's a start." I said.

Later on, the others were asleep and I was keeping watch. Even though it was rather funny at times to see Victor panic like that, I did rather think he was being serious.

"_You may be a timid young man Victor… but there is a way you can be brave and strong for us all. You just have to find it."_


	11. Emily's worst Nightmare

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

Lord Barkis and Barrack touched down with their tornado at the castle early before sunrise. Barrack sure was dizzy though. "Ooh… I'm going to be sick in morning, Yes sir." He moaned.

Barkis just bashed him on the noggin. "Would you stop complaining already!" he grumbled. "It's bad enough that I have to see you do nothing useful rather than hear you too."

He then used his Reliquary to project a image of what we were doing down below in the jungle. "Ah, good… they're waking up now." he chuckled as he conjured up smoke monsters the same size as he. "There I think this should do it."

"Now listen carefully my minions. You will go down to the jungle and capture Emily, do as you wish to the others but want Emily here in one piece you hear!"

"And don't worry about their Reliquaries, they can't you too much. Now Fly… FLY I SAY!!" and as he ordered the demons began flying off towards the jungle.

**_Meanwhile_**…

The wind began rustling up around our campsite, and the howling of the wind suddenly became high pitched as if something were crying out over the distance.

Well all looked up and gasped at what we saw. A whole swarm of green smoky creatures were coming right for us, and Our Reliquaries weren't strong enough to fend them off.

They finally reached the ground, and most of them began chasing after Emily. "Help! Help!" she cried as she ran and in the chaos she dropped her reliquary.

Victor was surrounded from all ends. "Stay away… Stay away from me I warn you!" he cried.

"Help! Get them off me!" I cried as at least four of the demons jumped all over my body and tore me to shreds.

Victoria climbed up to a safe tree limb and looked down to see the monsters grabbing Emily and lifting her into high into the air. "No! No! Put me down!" she screamed. "HELP!!!"

"EMILY!!" cried Victor as he watched his wife being carried off towards the castle. The Rest of the demons began flying away.

I was in a big mess. Me head was sitting on a rock. My Arms were free, Etc, Etc. "Help… Help." I called as Victoria and Victor came up to me.

"Mykan… what happened to you?" asked Victoria.

"They tore my legs off and they threw over there. Then they tore my arms off and there them over there, and--"

"Oh, that's you all over."

"My goodness, Mykan. You're a mess." Said Victor.

"Don't stand there talking, Put me back together. We've got to find Emily."

**_Meanwhile, in the land of the dead_**…

Elder Gutknecht saw everything. "Oh, my… this is rather serious indeed." he said.

"Obviously. We can see too you know." Said Emily's Maggot. "The question is what can we do to save her? I don't want to have to find a new head to live in."

Scraps nodded and barked in agreement.

Elder scratched his head. What they needed to do was have someone guide them to the Castle, but also tell them where Emily was so we could get in and out.

Finally, Elder had an idea. He mixed a small amount from the potion used to make Emily's Reliquary which was still laying on the mountain, unharmed though.

"What? Don't tell me that you're actually going up there to help them?" asked the Maggot.

"What, me… don't be ridiculous." said Elder. "But Scraps is."

Scraps looked up.

"What, him?" asked the Maggot. "How can he be of much help to them? He can't even talk."

Scraps growled angrily. "Now, now Scraps. You are going because you are the best choice amongst us here." Said Elder.

Maggot suddenly got the message. Elder Gutknecht couldn't go because he'd never be able to get up r down the mountain in one piece, and Maggot was too small, he'd get crushed. "Sometimes… being little is a BIG problem."

So it was settled. "Just remember young Scraps… when you want to return, just bark ten times in a row."

Scraps barked twice, meaning that he understood. He certainly was a clever dog. "Right, off you go then." Said Elder as he dropped some magical dust onto Scraps, casing him to vanish.

"Well… now all we can do is wait."

The Maggot looked up at Elder. "I'd prefer to _Sit _and wait if you don't mind."

**_Meanwhile_**…

Emily was all tied up in the top tower where she finally confronted Lord Barkis, and she may have known it was him all along. "So delighted you could join us, my dear." he said.

Emily struggled to break the chains, but they were composed of magic threads, even if she separated her bones it wouldn't help. "I don't know what you're planning you fiend!" she growled, "But you'll never get away with it!"

"Hmm, mm, mm… oh how cliché of you, Emily." Replied Barkis, "And just who is going to stop me, that timid little husband of yours? Your brother, whom I've never met, or my widow Victoria?"

"Unfortunately, Emily… you sometimes in the world. Evil quite often prevails." He then revealed to all of the prisoners in his dungeon and what he planned to do with them.

"I don't understand… why would you do this?" Emily asked.

"To become rich and powerful." Said Barrack.

"SHUT UP!!" shouted Barkis. Barrack went all pink.

"I'll tell you why." He said to Emily. "To gain back what is rightfully mine. To put revenge upon all those who humiliated me. Namely, You and your three family friends."

"Well very soon, you won't be here to see them fall." He motioned to Barrack to hand him the water pitcher on the table. "You see this…" he said.

Water… something that could weaken a Corpse or skeleton. But if forced at just right, it could shrivel them up into dust piles.

Then Barkis indicated that when an hourglass with exactly one hour of sand in it emptied, the entire chamber would flood, washing out everything inside.

"You'd better enjoy your last minutes, my dear. While I prepare for the rest of your friends to join you." Said Barkis. He changed into a tornado again, "Come Barrack!"

"Oh… not again… Whoooooooooooa!!"

"This time Emily… you will really be gone." Barkis shouted as he used his magic to lock the doors tight and tip the hourglass.

Emily just kept on Struggling. "IT WON'T END LIKE THIS!!!" she shouted.


	12. You only Second Rate

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

Scraps had already arrived on the island and was rushing into the Jungle with Emily's reliquary in his mouth.

Victor and Victoria were just finishing putting me back together when we saw the dog coming for us. "Look… it's Scraps." Said Victoria. "How did he get here?"

We assumed that Elder Gutknecht must have been watching us, and sent Scraps to help us find Emily. "Well let's get going then." Said Victor.

We all followed Victor's dog out of the Jungle at last. It was still dark outside, but the sun would rise soon. Still, now we had to climb up to very step mountain to where the castle lay.

Scraps hopped up along the rocks, careful not to damage Emily's Reliquary. We all decided that if it look as though we wouldn't be able to save her in time, then we'd just destroy her reliquary and send her back to the land of the dead.

Hopefully it wouldn't have to come to that, but it would if we didn't even reach her. Victor also was afraid of heights, and he stumbled a few times and ended up dangling from my cape.

"AGH… Victor--" I cried. "Come on!"

Victor struggled and struggled to climb up. "I… I hope that my nerves hold out." He said shakily as he looked down.

"Never mind that, and just hope my cape holds out." I said.

"Come you two… we can do it. Emily's counting on us." Said Victoria, and we continued up the mountain.

We stopped at a big rock bank which overlooked the castle at the top. "There… that must be it." Said Victor. "Right, Scraps… Is Emily somewhere in that castle?"

Scraps nodded and motioned up to the tallest tower. "So she's up there." Replied Victor. "Come on everyone, let's go."

"Wait… Look!" said Victoria. We all looked to the entrance of the castle. It was wide open, but heavily guarded by the smoke demons. No way we could sneak past them without being noticed.

"We… we need a plan-- a strategy of some type." Said Victoria.

"We don't have time Victoria, Emily needs us, and she needs us now." I said. "We need a way to get up to the tower quickly, but also without being seen."

Suddenly, Victor had an idea. "We can use the Reliquaries." He said. "If we become invisible, and speak through our minds, we can walk right up, and float to the top of the tower."

Victoria and I looked at Victor as though he was being crazy, and yet there was that old saying. "It's so crazy it just may work." So we agreed to Victor's plot.

_**25 minutes Left!!**_

We used the Reliquaries and became invisible; Scraps too. We made sure to only stay in contact with each other by our thoughts. We hid the Glowing glasses behind us to douse their lights and give us away, and then we headed for the castle.

The smoke demons of course knew nothing of what was going on. Victor was very careful not to Yipe, and Scraps was careful not to bark or growl.

We reached the area nearest to the tower. _"Alright… everyone ready?" _Victor asked in thought.

"_I'm Ready."_ I said in thought

"_So am I."_ added Victoria.

Scraps barked once in thought.

We all managed to find each other, and held hands tightly. Victor even let Scraps ride on his back. Then we used our reliquaries to rocket slowly and silently up the tower. We even passed near a point where we could see the other prisoners.

"_Look… it's my parents."_ Thought Victor.

"_Don't worry… we'll save them, somehow." _I thought, _"But First we have to save Emily."_

We burst through the last window from the chamber at the top of the tower, and since their were no guards around we reappeared and walked up to the door.

"Let's check first." I said, and gently spoke into the door. "Emily… are you in there? It's us."

From inside the room, Emily was still struggling, "Oh, yes… I'm locked in, help me!" she cried. She checked the hourglass and it was almost empty. "But do hurry… only one minute to go."

We used magic to smoke our ways into the room and freed my sister in an instant by warping outside the castle only moments before the hourglass ran out, and the room was flooded.

_**Outside…**_

Everybody was safe and sound.

"Victor!" cried Emily and she rushed over into his. Victor grabbed her back twirled his wife around. Then I shared a hug with my sister, and Victoria shook her hand.

Emily even planted a small kiss on Scraps'. "Oh, good boy, Scraps, good boy." She said while petting and patting him.

Scraps barked happily and danced in circles. After that, he handed Emily back the blue reliquary through his mouth. "Thank you, Scraps."

She held her blue shining glass next to Victor's yellow one, beside my red one, and Victoria's pink one. The four glasses shined brightly.

"Hmm, mm, mm… How sentimental." Came a sinister voice from behind. We all turned round and saw him by the front gate of the castle wit his demons.

"Lord Brakis!" growled Victor.

"We should have known!" added Victoria.

I stared at the ugly, sinister looking man. "THIS… is Lord Barkis?" I asked. It was my first time meeting him, but I could tell by the sound of his voice, and the look in his eye.

Barkis came over to us clapping his hands. "Well done in freeing the blushing bride." He mocked. "Too bad it will have availed you not."

It turned out that he knew we were coming for Emily all along, and was preparing for all this. "First I shall deal with you all…" he said while showing us his Green reliquary, "… and then the victims in the tower."

We all stood there with angry scowls. "Not If we can help it!" Victor growled and like mad people we blasted at him several times over with our Reliquary's… when the smoke cleared Barkis was gone.

"Ha, ha, ha! Who's laughing now?" Victor replied.

Lord Barkis' laughter echoed on as he reappeared without even a scratch on him. "Why I believe it's _Me."_ He chuckled.

We had quite forgotten that he had sold his soul for his power, meaning he was stronger than us… MUCH stronger!

_**(Barkis)**_

_I must admit,  
Your parlor tricks are amusing  
I bet you've got a bunny  
Under your hat!  
Now here's your chance  
To get the best of me,  
Hope your hand is hot!  
C'mon, clown,  
Let's see what you've got!_

_You try to slam me  
With your hardest stuff  
But your double whammy  
Isn't up to snuff  
I'll set the record straight  
You're simply out of date  
You're only second rate!_

_You think your cat's a meanine,  
But your tiger's tame  
You've got a lot to learn  
About the power game  
So for your information,  
I'll reiterate  
You're only second rate!_

_Men cower at the power  
In my pinky  
My thumb is number one  
On every list  
But if you're not convinced  
That I'm invincible,  
Put me to the test!  
I'd love to lay this great big war to rest!_

_Go ahead and zap me  
With the big surprise  
Snap me in a trap,  
Cut me down to size  
I'll make a big escape  
It's just a piece of cake  
You're only second rate!_

_You know, your hocus-pocus  
Isn't tough enough  
And your mumbo-jumbo  
Doesn't measure up  
Let me pontificate  
Upon your sorry state  
You're only second rate!_

_Zaba-caba-dabra!  
Granny's gonna grab ya!  
Alakazam-da-mus  
And this thing's bigger than the both of us!_

_So spare me your tremendous scare!  
You look horrendous in your underwear!  
And I can hardly wait  
To discombobulate  
I'll send ya back and packing  
In a shipping crate  
You'll make a better living  
With a spinning plate  
You're only second rate!_


	13. Three gone, and One remaining

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

Barrack watched the whole thing from the gates of the castle. "Oh dear!" her cried. "You on your own now sir. This kind of thing is why I flunked in courage camp."

But then again, he also couldn't stand up to all these monstrous plots anymore, and was actually starting to think his master had gone too far. But what could he do?

Then he had an idea and headed back inside.

In the midst of the battles. Barkis managed to crack all our reliquaries enough so they lost their glow. Which cut off all our powers… _We couldn't even do card tricks now_.

Worse than that, Barkis was still fired up for so much more that he even changed the entire atmosphere around us into a living nightmare.

The sky was all red and fiery… the jungle trees had lost their leaves and had scary faces carved into their bark, and Barkis himself was firing madly all around him searching for us.

"Come out, Cowards!" he roared. "Face me!"

We all hid behind a large rock clasping our broken reliquaries. "What are we going to do now?" asked Victoria, "We can't possibly beat him without our powers."

"Even with them, Barkis still has more power than we do." Added Emily.

Suddenly, I remembered. "His Reliquary." I said. "Don't you remember what Elder Gutknecht taught us? If someone sells their soul for an object, then their very existence depends on it."

They began to catch on. All we had to do was destroy the reliquary and we'd destroy Lord Barkis, and ensure that he would never again cause trouble or calamity to either world.

"Only one problem…" said Victor. "He's always holding onto it. How are we supposed to get it from him?"

I huddled them close and whispered our plans. If they worked, then all will go well.

Barkis was still fuming like mad. "Where are you filthy beasts!" he roared, and then Victor popped up from behind the rock.

"Give it up Lord Barkis!" he said, "Obviously, we are too much for you to handle."

Barkis focused his eyes on the little pipsqueak before him. "You!" he growled. "You're a fool to challenge me in you present state!"

What Barkis didn't notice was the Victoria was sneaking up from behind him hopping to grab his Reliquary from behind.

"I am all Powerful now!"

"Some all-powerful." Snapped Victor. "You can't even get rid of a timid man like me."

Barkis grabbed Victor by the throat and held him up. "A problem I mean to rectify RIGHT NOW!!!" he bellowed.

"VICTOR!!!" cried Emily.

Barkis then raised his other hand ready to blast Victor into dust, but when he looked he saw his reliquary was gone. "WHAT?!"

He turned back to Victor. "Got you." he smirked. "Go Victoria hurry!"

Barkis turned and saw Victoria making off with his reliquary. Quickly he dropped Victor and focused on Victoria, "Fools… you believe that I don't need my Reliquary to use Magic!!"

Victoria then tripped on a tree root and fell over. Her leg fell off again, and the Reliquary bounced a few feet away from her. "Oh, no… Not now!" she cried. This was Barkis' chance to get her.

He created a large ball of fired and blasted it right for her. "This world rejects you, and so does the other… BE GONE!!" he roared.

Victoria screamed like Blue Murder. I had to do something to save my wife, and there was only ONE possible way. "Here… take this!!" I cried as I tossed my broken Reliquary into the path of the fireball, intercepting it and blowing it out.

"Mykan used his reliquary to take the hit from the blast." Cried Emily, "…But that means--!!"

Indeed it did… My reliquary was totally destroyed. Which meant I was going to be sent back to the land of the Dead.

I fell to my knees, gasping and clutching my chest as if I were in real pain. "No… Mykan!!" cried Victoria as she tried to reach for me.

Emily, Victor, and Scraps came up to me as my body began vanishing into sparkling red dust. "No, Mykan!" cried Emily.

"Emily… Farewell… I'm going back!" I said softly as I began to fade.

"No, Mykan stay with us!" cried Victor, but it was too late. I gave them all a smile and a smirk before I had completely vanished.

Scraps howled in sadness, and Emily began to cry. "My Brother… he's gone!" she sobbed. Victor held her close to him. "Yes, but he did it to save Victoria." He cried.

Victoria really felt touched. I gave up my support of staying on the surface to save her, and she was going to make certain it wasn't in vain.

"Awe… such a pity." Barkis chuckled as he clutched his Reliquary that he retrieved. "Well you can save those tears for you'll be joining him very soon… if I don't destroy you first, mind you."

Emily snapped up. "You Monster! What kind of sick stuff and nonsense are you trying to pull?!" she scowled.

Barkis told them the whole plot over again, of how he was outraged by what happened to him, ending up poor, ending up being fooled to death by her and Victor. "Now that I'm back, Revenge will be mine, and nothing and NO ONE CAN STOP ME!!"

Victoria head just about enough of this… "YOU MONSTER!!" and pitched her Reliquary at him… a very bad thing to do as Barkis just easily blasted it before it even got near him.

Now Victoria was disappearing too. "Emily… Victor…" she cried. "It's up to you now." and she vanished too.

"Victoria!" cried Victor and he collapsed to his knees. "No! Not her too!"

"Ha, ha, ha! Poor unfortunate body of a soul." Barkis chuckled. "Shame, I was hoping of merely giving her the choice of rejoining me as my Queen… but I suppose vengeance knows no bounds."

Emily and Victor stood tall and angrily. "You… You're nothing but a huge coward." Victor growled. "Picking on things weaker than you are, for the sick plot of revenge!"

Barkis stopped in his little joy dance and glared at them both. "What's that you say?!" he growled

Victor's wife nodded. "Capturing innocent people to pocket their money! Trying to wreak havoc upon our home world of the Dead! You have no right to be called a human!"

Barkis was only pretending to be insulted by those words as it kept them distracted from the smoke demons coming up from behind Victor.

Scraps suddenly began barking and yelping as a warning of danger. "Scraps… what's all the… the-- AGRH!!" he saw the demons coming right at him for his reliquary.

"VICTOR… WATCH OUT!!!" cried Emily and she shoved him out of the way just in time, but in the midst of the blast her reliquary was destroyed.

"Emily, No!!" cried Victor as he reached out for her.

"Vic…tor… Ugh…!" she fell towards victor's arms but Vanished before they came in contact. Only a few flower pedals from her veil crown were left in his hands.

"No… No!!" cried Victor as he clutched the pedals in his hands. "EMILYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!"


	14. The End of Lord Barkis

_**Author's notes:**_

_**Hi, Mykan again…**_

_**Just the heads up… Writing a sequel is much more difficult than writing a first story. So if things may start to get a little out of hand, it's all because I have little to work with.**_

_**Who knows… maybe it won't be so bad at all.**_

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

Victor could almost actually feel the mixture of sadness and anger running through his body. His wife, Mykan, and Victoria… all of them; Gone!

"Ha, ha, ha! Three down, and now only one remains." chuckled Barkis. He began pacing himself towards the downed corpse, playfully tossing his reliquary up and catching it. "And now, the final ordeal!"

Victor knew Barkis was coming right at him. He shut his eyes tightly and gritted his teeth as the three images of myself, Victoria, and Emil passed by in his mind. _"My friends… With all my might, I will avenge you all!" _he said to himself.

Barkis readied his reliquary with a huge blast. "This is where we say goodbye!" he swung down his arm but before he could fire the shot--

Victor took off in a hot tempered rage and thrust a huge punch right into Barkis' stomach sending him backwards off his feet and his reliquary went flying.

Barkis got up unable to believe Victor had just done that.

"Lord Barkis…!" Victor snarled. "You have brought nothing but great horror and fear to all those not like you. I cannot and will not allow you to continue on this path!"

Barkis stood and brushed the dirt off his suit. "Allow me?!" he snarled. "You dare put yourself against the most powerful being on earth!"

Victor just put his foot down. "I wouldn't care if you were the most powerful in the universe." He said angrily. "That's no excuse for all the horrible things you've done."

Barkis just fired another shot from his hands. "I've done it before and I will do it for years to come… ONCE I AM THROUGH WITH YOU!!!"

He fired another shot directly for Victor's reliquary, but Victor grabbed it just in time, and the shot missed it entirely. "Got to be quick if you want to catch me." Victor chortled and he kept right on running.

**_From up in the castle_**…

Barrack had freed all the prisoners and told them of everything. _Including having to explain to Nell and William about their Son. _

Nell was horrified to learn about Victor. That he was dead… married to dead woman, and he was the one out there fighting Lord Barkis. The only thing at risk, was Victor could get permanently destroyed forever.

"Oh… I--I feel faint." cried Nell, and she fainted with a huge splat on the floor. After she came too, it became clear that they had to help Victor somehow.

True he was being a little braver now, Nell never though he had it in him, but the way the battle was going there was no way he could triumph alone.

But what could they all do. Barkis was so powerful, "Why he'd just crush us all like peeled grapes washed in _water_." Said William.

Barrack's head suddenly perked up. "Water?" he asked to himself. Then he suddenly had it. "Water, of course. That's it."

"What's it?" asked a Rich man in the dungeon.

"No time to explain." Replied Barrack. He cut open the cells and freed the prisoners. "Come everyone… this is going to take team work."

**_Back outside_**…

Victor had been dodging the blows for a while now. "Stand still you little pest!" shouted Barkis as he fired again. The blast merely gave Victor a burn on his coat, but no damage whatsoever.

"Missed again!" Victor called. "What's wrong Lord Barkis, afraid you'll kill what already has been killed."

"I'll make you wish you hadn't mocked me!" Barkis yelled as he armed another shot ready, but before he could fire it Scraps leapt out from behind a bush so suddenly.

He barked angrily as he head butted Barkis right in the gut, and sent him flying backwards into a Water trough by the walls. "Good boy Scraps… Good Boy!"

"_Water!"_ Barkis said. "I'm crusting… I can't do anything now!"

It didn't matter if he had skin or not. When a corpse, deformed corpse or skeleton got all wet and soaked… it would make them really grow weary.

"Well… it looks like we found his weakness, we did." Said Barrack. "Right then… tip it over chaps!" he called.

The others nodded, and tipped over several more buckets down from the windows and into the trough… right on Barkis' head.

"GAHH… No… Not more!" he squealed. "I'm… getting… weak!"

As Barkis crawled out from the tub, he started up at Victor who was smiling wickedly. "Look at what else Scraps had found." He said as he grapes the Green Reliquary Scraps recovered.

"Ah… Oh, No!"

Victor dropped it on the ground by his foot. "THIS… is for Emily!" he shouted as he stomped on the glass causing it to crack.

"GIVE IT BACK!!" growled Barkis as he tried to reach for his reliquary.

"THIS… is for my family, and friends!" replied Victor, and he stomped on the glass again. The reliquary was glowing madly and lights were shoot out from it. Just _one more_ stomp…

"NO!! I SWEAR… I'LL TEAR YOU TO PIECES!!" shouted Barkis, but he still could not reach for it.

Victor cast a look dead in his eyes. "And THIS… this is for YOU!!" he growled. "This is where we say… GOOD-BYE!!!"

He raised his foot as high as it would go and shoved it down with full force onto the glass. The reliquary glowed more violently than before and finally… IT IMPLODED!!

"NO!!!" cried Barkis as he and Victor were thrown back by the blast. The island began quaking as Barkis looked up. "What-- AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

There n the sky… all the smoke demons began flying round and round as a mysterious vortex appeared in the sky, and conjured up a huge burst of energy.

"EVERYONE… GET DOWN!!!" cried Victor. Everyone ran for the nearest cover and hid out of sight.

BOOM!! the Energy fired from the vortex and slammed right into Barkis' body. He screamed and yelped in pain as all his flesh disintegrated in the flames he was consumed by.

His skeleton then shook and quivered as it vaporized into a pile of dust and blown away into the wind… He was gone!


	15. We're Family

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

As the last bits of Barkis remains flew away in the wind The island began quivering as the Castle and the jungle began to disappear as well. Soon the island had reverted into a plain ordinary island again, and the sun rose into the sky.

The rich people all cheered with joy. The nightmare was finally over. Victor and scraps rolled along the ground happily. "We did it, Scraps, old boy… we did it." He cried happily.

Scraps barked happily and licked Victor's face.

"Ah-Ah-ahem!" came a voice from behind. Victor slowly turned round and saw his mother and father with scowling looks on their faces and tapping their feet the tensed way.

Victor nervously got up to his feet. "M-m-mother… Father." He said all shaky again. "I… well… I--"

"Victor Van Dort!" snapped his mother. "As much as I would like to be infuriated with you…" she changed her expression, "… I just don't have the heart."

Victor stopped shaking. "You… what?"

They told him that Barrack told them the truth in the castle. "At least we know you're alright and that." Said William. "My boy… the thing is, were proud of you."

"Normally you would have run off with your pants all wet." Added Nell. "But you stood up to that awful man by yourself, and you saved us all from certain doom."

"Mother?" said Victor. "I don't know what to say."

Nell and William decided it would be okay to look for successor to leave their fortune too, as Victor was already dead.

The only thing was, how were they going to get off the island? There weren't any boats they could use, Victor's reliquary was powerless, and the island had no food, no shelter, absolutely none.

Suddenly, a flash of light had appeared in the middle of the island. It expanded, and expanded. Then in a very big bright flash of light… Everyone had vanished and all returned to their homes.

Scraps, Victor, and the Van Dorts were even transported back to England, right to the fish shop, and Victor's old home.

"Uh… anyone mind telling me what just happened?" asked William. "How on Earth did we get here?"

Victor had a good idea what it was. _"Good old Elder Gutknecht."_ He said in his thoughts. _"Never is a man to let someone down."_

…

Victor had bid farewell to his parents, until they met again, and returned to the land of the dead where he was reunited with the rest of us.

Emily couldn't stop throwing herself all over Victor, and planting kisses all over his face for saving them all. But Victor was happy to be home.

And speaking of home… Elder Gutknecht had lead us back to our farm which had been cleaned up and restored to normal. Buildings, Animals and all.

"It was the least we could all do for your heroic efforts." He said. "In all my years and after years I have never seen such bravery."

We all felt really grateful to Elder Gutknecht. He was always there when we needed him, and was always so very kind. To us, he was almost family.

Victor did feel rather sad though that his parents couldn't come and meet the rest of the gang, and that it would be a long, long time before he ever hoped of seeing them again.

"It's alright if you're sad Darling." Said Emily. "Mykan and I haven't seen our parents for much longer, and we're still getting used to not having them around."

I nodded. "Even though they're not hear Victor… that doesn't mean you don't have a family." I said.

Victor looked up from his dinner plate. "Do you really think so?" he asked.

"We know so Victor." Said Victoria, "It's really so simple." She gestured for me and Emily to start playing the piano… and we did.

_**(Victoria)**_

_Take a little time  
Just look at where we are_

_We've come very, very far together_

_And if I might say so  
_

_**(Elder)**_

_And if I might say so too_

_**(Both)**_

_We wouldn't have got anywhere  
If it weren't for you, boy_

_**(Mykan)**_

_Love is the sweetest thing_

_**(Maggot)**_

_Love never comes just when you think it will  
_

_**(Emily)**_

_Love is the way we feel for you_

_**(ALL, Except Victor)**_

_We're family, we're family, we're family  
All of us and you_

_**(Maggot)**_

_Think of where we'd be  
If we were on our own_

_**(Victoria)**_

_You're what holds us all together_

_**(Mykan)**_

_And if I might say so_

_**(Emily and Elder)**_

_And if we might say so too  
We never could love anyone  
As much as we love you_

_**(ALL)**_

_Love is the strangest thing  
Love does exactly what it wants to do  
Love...Boy, you know it's true  
We're family, we're family, we're family  
**(Me)** **(Me) (Me) (Me)**  
And you!  
_

_**(Emily)**_

_Ashes to ashes and dust to dust_

_**(ALL)**_

_Without you there'd be no us_

Love is the sweetest thing  
Love does exactly what it wants to do  
Love is the way we feel for you  
We're family, we're family  


_**(Victor)**_

_We're family…Me…_

_**(ALL)**_

…_and… you_

We all shared a wonderful group hug. "We'll always be together... Won't we?" Victor asked.

"Victor… You're stuck with us… for life." I said. But then I just realized what I said. "Oops… hee, hee… Sorry."

Everyone joined in with a good laugh, and with everything back to normal, and everyone all happy and well again. This story is--

"Wait, Wait… Not yet." Came Barrack's voice.

"Don't you want to know what happened to me?" Oh right… Barrack… now free from Barkis for good, he got a job as a singing performer in town, and really good at it too.

_**(Barrack)**_

_And now, the end is near;  
And so I face the final curtain.  
My friend, Ill say it clear,  
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain_

_I've lived a life that's full.  
I've traveled each and every highway;  
And more, much more than this,  
I did it my way._

_Regrets, I've had a few;  
But then again, too few to mention.  
I did what I had to do  
And saw it through without exemption._

_I planned each charted course;  
Each careful step along the byway,  
But more, much more than this,  
I did it my way._

_Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew  
When I bit off more than I could chew.  
But through it all, when there was doubt,  
I ate it up and spit it out.  
I faced it all and I stood tall;  
And did it my way._

_I've loved, I've laughed and cried.  
I've had my fill; my share of losing.  
And now, as tears subside,  
I find it all so amusing._

_To think I did all that;  
And may I say - not in a shy way,  
No, oh no not me,  
I did it my way._

_For what is a man, what has he got?  
If not himself, then he has naught.  
To say the things he truly feels;  
And not the words of one who kneels.  
The record shows I took the blows -  
And did it my way!_

_**THE END**_


End file.
